The Midnight After

This philosophical take on the apocalypse throws a minibus full of folks, both established Hong Kong cinema stars and fresh new talents, into the first day of the rest of their lives. Only, on earth—it’s just them.

Fruit Chan’s philosophical take on the apocalypse ferries a minibus full of people (played by established Hong Kong cinema stars and fresh talents) into the first day of the rest of their lives. Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker Chan is known for his style of reflecting everyday life and for his macabre 2004 chiller Dumplings. Here, he mashes comedy, horror, and melodrama to a grisly pulp, adapted from a novel that began as a viral web series called “Lost on a Minibus from Mongkok to Taipo” by Pizza. An eclectic bunch of characters including a failed gangster, a clairvoyant insurance agent, a bickering couple, a computer programmer, and a cokehead are among the 16 passengers on a bus heading from busy Kowloon to a town in the New Territories. Everything’s fine, ’til they get on the other side of the Lion Rock Tunnel, where they’re the only ones on the road and their destination is abandoned. As in 28 Days Later’s deserted London, the inherent eeriness of an empty Hong Kong and surrounding areas does as much for the story as any panicked dialogue or nascent explanation. When four college students are the first to succumb to what appears to be a virus, the remaining commuters are beset by dream sequences, spooky visions, and increasing paranoia about what’s to come. Handheld camerawork from Chan’s frequent collaborator Lam Wah-tsuen adds to the existential dread.

Director Biography

Born in China, Fruit Chan immigrated to Hong Kong in 1969. He attended the Hong Kong Film Culture Center where he studied script writing and directing. Chan began his career in 1982 as an assistant director. He is best known for Made in Hong Kong (1997).

Sponsored by Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco, Delta Air Lines

Print Sources

Click here to download the 2014 Seattle International Film Festival Print Source PDF.

SIFF's mission is to create experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world. It is through the art of cinema that we foster a community that is more informed, aware, and alive!